New Bison Hunting Regulations for House Rock Herd

[azsugarbear]

My experiences with AZGFD have always been very positive. I finally drew a rifle hunt for Buffalo on the Kaibab in September 2005. The actual hunt was an absolute failure for everybody in both early and late hunts (total of 40 tags), except for one lucky hunter who got one over water the first morning. Other unsuccessful hunters included an older lady who only needed her Buffalo to complete her AZ Big Ten. There were simply no animals in the NF to hunt. The Governor's tag hunt was a biggest reason for the failure of these fall hunts. Understandably, the holder (having spent hue $$$) would come down to the ranch with his crew of guides, family & friends, camera crew, etc. They would scout all the herds looking for just the right bull. Needless to say, the pressure became so great that the herd ended up being pushed off the ranch and up to the NP just to get away from hunter pressure. By late August, all the animals were safe within the NP borders.

 

When I got home, I was fuming. Only 1 in 40 tags was successful. I started to do some serious research and came to the conclusion that the herd could be managed better. At that time, the herd was estimated to be over 300, but the target carrying capacity of the habitat was only 175. When you took into account birth rate for the herd and then subtracted out depredation, normal mortality and finally hunter success - it became clear that the herd would only continue to increase in size. I requested some time during their normal board meeting in February/March to present my findings. After filling out the correct forms, I was actually allotted ten minutes for my presentation.

 

Long story short, due to the meeting running long I was not allowed to give my PowerPoint presentation. They did, however, give five minutes for verbal comment (they already had a copy of my presentation prior to the meeting). From the discussion that followed, it was clear that most had already read my presentation before the meeting. I was given the impression that they did not realize just what was happening up there. They listened, they discussed and even tried to find a way to give me another tag or restore my bonus points. Unfortunately, there was no legal way provided them to take such action. I left the meeting satisfied that I had been given a chance to educate - and vent just a little. I too was working on my AZ Big Ten and I knew I had very little chance of ever drawing again.

 

Fast forward three years to 2008. I'm sitting at my desk at work mid-morning when I get a call from AZGFD. You know that separate depredation hunt form some of us fill out, but never get called for anything? Well, I was finally getting a call for a depredation hunt. I was hoping for cow elk, but knew it would probably be javelina. I was stunned when she said Buffalo on the Kaibab in early July. She told me that AZGFD was trying to better manage the herds up there by increasing the success rate of hunters.

 

Now for those of you that are savvy to what is happening with the buffalo at that time of year on the ranch - you should appreciate the tremendous risk that AZGFD was taking just to be responsive to the hunters and the overpopulation of buffalo. AZGFD listened, they debated and then they responded. Yes, like most government agencies, they are strapped for additional funds. But it is my belief that most of their actions are based on trying to keep that delicate balance between what the animals need, what the habitat can support, what the hunters would like, what the animal rights groups demand and what can reasonably be done given the budget they have. Given all the directions they are being pulled, they will never get it 'just right'.

 

Dropping the companion tags and limiting the other tags shows it isn't just about the money. It does suggest that they have either been successful in reducing the numbers, or that what they were doing was no longer working. I think AZGFD deserves our respect and our patience as they try come up with viable alternatives for managing the buffalo on the Kaibab.

[Coach]

azsugarbear, excellent post.

 

Lance, also a great post.

 

It's nice to see fellow hunters who are passionate enough to get involved and work with AZG&F to come up with the right solution. I've never hunted bison, maybe never will, but it's refreshing to hear your perspective and your proposals for a better future for hunters and bison.